Sillcock for Robust Re-Installation

ABSTRACT

The present invention pertains to problems associated with the installation of new sillcocks in existing masonry or other building materials. A sillcock, or ‘hose bib’ having broader base plate is provided to prevent collapse especially in older or damaged building materials and to minimize damage to new installations.

BACKGROUND

The present invention pertains to the field of outdoor water faucets,variously known to practitioners of the art as ‘hose bibs’ or sillcocks.

A problem exists in the prior art with respect to the installation ofnew sillcocks in existing masonry or other building materials. Variousattempts have been made to address this problem. For example, U.S. Pat.No. 8,272,396 (Brienza) and U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,863 (Commeville) proposesolutions which, though inspired and well-meaning, fail to provide auniversal solution to the problem, or only do so while requiringsignificant expense and effort.

In particular '396 Brienza proposes a somewhat bulky auxiliary structurepoorly anchored to the main pipe and suffering also from the deficiencythat tabs, which cannot be guaranteed to be sturdy, are the only meansof creating a separation between the pipe aperture and bolt apertures.Furthermore, this costly (in terms of strength) solution imposes a limiton the diameter of any washer that might be used to distribute pressurefrom tightened bolts, as a larger washer will abut against the maincylindrical wall.

'863 Commeville appears to provide an enclosure for aesthetic purposes,but without addressing issues of hole separation.

A need remains for an effective, efficient remedy to the prior art.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides solutions to the above-mentionedproblems. A sillcock is provided, of characteristics pertaining to atleast one or more of material, dimensions and design, which exhibitbenefits over the prior art.

For purposes of the present application, the terms ‘hose bib’ orsillcock may be applied synonymously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 The typical hose bib of the prior art is shown.

FIG. 2 The present invention, drawn substantially to scale

FIG. 3 A preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 2

FIG. 4 An embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 2, adapted forspecific purposes such as prior wall damage in identifiable areas.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The typical hose bib of the prior art is shown in FIG. 1. A relativelylarge hole must be made in the mounting wall, intended to receive thepipe or conduit (typically metal) which conducts water from a supplysource, usually within the building structure to the faucet 105, thefaucet generally being an integral part of the sillcock. The structuremay be commercial or residential in nature and the sillcock is typicallyinstalled through an outer wall, though variations can exist.

Installation may be a complex matter and, as will become more apparentbelow, is typically performed by an experienced professional craftsmansuch as a plumber.

As the usual case is for installation to involve the outer wall of astructure, damage to the wall presents a serious problem. Outer wallsprovide not only privacy and barriers to wind, heat, (and/or cold) noiseand so on, but often may have security implications as well. Furthermoreouter walls provide structural support, which may at times becomecritical, such as during storms, sub-zero weather and the like.

Typical location of a sillcock may well be determined by factorsunrelated to the foregoing structural and practical considerations. Thusinstallation might exacerbate these problems, for example requiringboring and/or drilling into mounting material which cannot be guaranteedto be accomplished without structural implications, making a repeat orimperfect job more than a mild inconvenience.

The present invention in particular corrects the problematic confluenceof a hole intended for the passage of the water pipe with holes neededto provide anchoring and aligning with screw- or bolt-holes 102. Asshown in FIG. 1, the prior art typically minimizes the sillcock'srequirement for material by providing anchor holes 102 close to thefaucet 105.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sillcock 200 of the present invention presentinvention, as a fundamental improvement, expressly provides an extendedbase-plate 201, thus allowing a much larger separation between thevarious holes in the sillcock, which improvement correspondingly allowsa much larger separation between the various holes to be made (or used,in the case of existing holes) in the mounting wall, whether masonry,wood, concrete or other material. The diameter of the base plate 201 isapproximately 3.5 inches.

In the case of a sillcock reinstalled where one has previously been, thepresent invention almost completely eliminates the usual problems thatmay arise by progressive weakening of mounting material. Especially incases where multiple installations, which may have required repeatedboring to accommodate sillcocks manufactured by different entities andthus not being expected to align their respective hole needs, thepresent invention far surpasses the prior art in minimizing possiblefurther compromising of the mounting structure.

As further shown in FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the long dimension 303 remains approximately 3.5 inches as inthe former case, but the height 304 is reduced to about 2 inches, givingthe base plate 301 a rounded, oval or extended diamond-like shape. Thisshape allows for a less intrusive form and, depending on the choice ofplate thickness, less use of metal.

Other embodiments of the present invention focus on variations whichfurther seek to provide for a less risky and trouble free installation.Embodiments provide. among other benefits, for choices in hole locationwhich may be more advantageous for specific installation jobs such as,for example, a sillcock 400 with bolt anchor holes 402 having an angularoffset 404 with respect to a diameter 403 drawn through the mainpipe-hole as shown in FIG. 4. Note that the diameter shown 403 pertainsto a round plate, though in some offset embodiments the base plate doesnot extend to its maximum diameter at angles apart from the actualanchoring locations of the bolts. Such an embodiment is particularlyuseful in its ability to mount onto least-damaged material, in the casewhere a pre-existing sillcock, with holes as shown in any of the priorfigures, incurred damage to the mounting surface. The angular offset maybe in either direction.

As a surprising result, the larger surface area of the plate 201, 301,401, as compared with the prior art, permits, in an embodiment for asomewhat thinner material to be used without risk of failing to provideadequate material for secure anchoring of the bolts in holes 202, 302,402. The thinner material allows for a degree of enhanced flexibility ofthe plate, which allows for improved ability to conform to the surfaceof the mounting material (typically masonry). An attendant benefit isthat a secure fit will not be prevented even if the mounting wallsurface happens to be uneven. Washers (not shown) may be employed ifnecessary, in ways well known in the art, to ensure that any excessivetorque applied to the bolts does not risk damaging the plate.

As a further surprising result, the aforementioned reduced thickness, inan embodiment, of the plate, permits easier re-drilling of new anchorholes for bolts without the need for specialized tools. Re-drillingmight be beneficial in cases where a first choice for hole placement isprecluded by prior damage to the mounting wall.

As yet another surprising result of the present invention, the increasedseparation between the pipe hole and the anchor holes allows for the useof an expanded range of washers or spacers, both in materials and size,These washers or spacers may be chosen in such a way as to exert anincreased compressive force over a larger surface area, a feature whichmay especially be of value in the case of mounting material which isweak or has been made weak by repeated installations, even when masonryholes made to match elements 202, 302, 402 have collapsed together intothe pipe hole.

Those experienced in the field of this invention should, based on thedetailed descriptions of the objectives and new methods, be able tounderstand the logical possible variations. They will be able to adoptappropriate materials, dimensions and geometries depending on thevarious applications and needs of different installations, notspecifically shown in this application, but within the general goals andobjectives of this invention. Specifically, the word ‘bolt’ isunderstood to include other types of fasteners known in the art, whichmay or may not be threaded, such as screws, rivets or the like. The word‘pipe’ is used to designate a fluid conduit which is typically, thoughnot exclusively, liquid, especially water, but may be considered forpurposes of this invention to include other substances, including gases.

Examples disclosed are intended to be limiting only as reflected in theappended claims.

I claim:
 1. A sillcock for installation of a faucet on a wall comprisinga base plate having a planar surface area and at least two bolt or screwholes, respectively corresponding to wall holes for at least twomounting bolts or screws, wherein said plate is substantiallystructurally fixed with respect to the faucet body and wherein theseparation between said holes is sufficient to minimize collapsingtogether of any two of said wall holes and wherein further said surfacearea is small enough to substantially avoid interfering with typicalwall design construction or aesthetic variations.
 2. The sillcock ofclaim 1 wherein said planar surface area comprises; a first planardiameter, in the plane of said surface area and along a line immediatelyproximal the centers of two of said bolt or screw holes, in excess oftwo and a quarter inches. adequate flexibility to permit the applicationof sufficient compressional force, during installation of anchor bolts,to allow secure attachment, without causing appreciable damage, to saidwall.
 3. The sillcock of claim 2 wherein at least one of said at leasttwo bolt or screw holes is incompletely surrounded, in said plane, bybase plate material.
 4. The sillcock of claim 2 wherein said at leasttwo bolt or screw holes are spaced substantially evenly around theperimeter of said base plate.
 5. The sillcock of claim 2 wherein atleast a portion of said adequate flexibility is achieved through areduced thickness of said base plate.
 6. The sillcock of claim 2 furthercomprising a second planar diameter, along a vertical line in said planedropped from the center of the handle of said faucet, and the firstplanar diameter lies perpendicular to said second planar diameter. 7.The sillcock of claim 6 wherein said second planar diameter is reducedto approximately 2 inches, giving the base plate a rounded, oval orextended diamond-like shape.
 8. The sillcock of claim 6 wherein saidfirst planar diameter comprises an offset from perpendicular by anamount between 5 and 85 degrees.
 9. The sillcock of claim 2 wherein saidfirst planar diameter is greater than two and a half inches.
 10. Thesillcock of claim 9 wherein said first planar diameter is greater thanthree inches.
 11. The sillcock of claim 10 wherein said first planardiameter is greater than three and a quarter inches. 12, The sillcock ofclaim 8 wherein said offset is clockwise, by an amount between 10 and 80degrees. 13, The sillcock of claim 8 wherein said offset iscounterclockwise, by an amount between 10 and 80 degrees. 14, Thesillcock of claim 12 wherein said offset is by an amount between 30 and60 degrees. 15, The sillcock of claim 13 wherein said offset is by anamount between 30 and 60 degrees. 18, The sillcock of claim 8 whereinsaid offset is by an amount of approximately 45 degrees. 17, Thesillcock of claim 7 wherein said first planar diameter is greater thantwo and a half inches. 18, The sillcock of claim 17 wherein said firstplanar diameter is greater than two and three quarters inches. 19, Thesillcock of claim 18 wherein said first planar diameter is greater thanthree inches.
 20. The sillcock of claim 19 wherein said first planardiameter is greater than three and a quarter inches.